University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 2017+ University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 2017 Development of a sustainability approach for the structural design of buildings Mehdi Robati University of Wollongong Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses1 University of Wollongong Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorise you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this work may be reproduced by any process, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised, without the permission of the author. Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. 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For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] DEVELOPMENT OF A SUSTAINABILITY APPROACH FOR THE STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF BUILDINGS A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY from UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG by MEHDI ROBATI SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS RESEARCH CENTRE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION SCIENCE 2017 i In this path (of knowledge), you will not reach your goal without effort; Follow thy master (murshid), if you seek the reward. Hafez (Ghazal 250), 14th century Persian poet ii Declaration I, Mehdi Robati, declare that this thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the conferral of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Wollongong, is wholly my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. This document has not been submitted for qualifications at any other academic institution. Mehdi Robati Jun 7th, 2017 iii Abstract Sustainability in the building industry means ensuring that a building is ecologically friendly and economically feasible, as well as providing a healthy internal atmosphere for the occupants. Recent developments in low CO2-e emissions design have highlighted the need to comprehend the characteristics and constraints of design alternatives at a global scale before making an appropriate choice. Despite the improvements in low CO2-e emissions design, the guidance currently available to structural engineers on how to incorporate whole of life CO2-e emissions impact in building design is still limited. This research seeks to identify the structural systems needed to sustain the long-term performance of a commercial building. To accomplish this goal, a typical 15 story office building in Australia was analysed to evaluate the potential impact of various forms of construction and structural concrete over the building’s lifetime. This particular building is one of four benchmark buildings proposed by the National Standard Development Organization. The effect of different types of concrete and structural flooring systems on its overall life cycle costs and carbon emissions (CO2-e emissions) are quantified. This research adopted different life cycle assessment tools and databases to measure the energy consumed by this building from its construction to the day it no longer exists. This research also assessed existing literature in the field of minimising the CO2-e emissions impact of concrete as a main structural material, and also quantified the CO2-e emissions impact and thermal performance of different concrete mixes. The results confirmed that embodied CO2-e emissions can be reduced significantly using supplementary cementitious materials. The thermal conductivity of concrete is strongly iv influenced by thermal properties of the concrete mixes and the proportions of its constituents. The results reveal there are many variations in embodied CO2-e emissions values across different inventory databases. An uncertainty analysis was used to quantify the variations associated with the CO2-e emissions embodied in building materials and structural systems. The results reveal the contribution and variation of each type of construction material and structural systems in their whole life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials to the construction site and end of life building. The sources of uncertainty are the variations in the method of analysis used for each assessment, the different system boundaries, the sources of data, and quality of input used to calculate the upstream process. A detailed energy simulation analysis via DesignBuilder was used to quantify the possible impact that construction forms and type of structural concrete might have on the energy consumed by the reference commercial office buildings across five Australian cities. The energy analysis revealed that the thermal capacity can be utilised to shift loads to reduce peak demand and reduce operational energy consumption if it is used as thermal energy storage. The final part of this study is a proposed method to combine life cycle cost analysis with relative CO2-e emissions costs of a concrete structure during its lifetime. The results provide a quantitative value for evaluating the global CO2-e emissions impact made by different building structures in five Australian climate zones. The findings of this study also show that selecting an optimal structural design based on a single phase of life cycle assessment might not be the best way to choose ideal design alternatives. v Acknowledgments Undertaking this PhD has been a truly life changing experience that would have been impossible without the support and guidance I received from many people; I am grateful to everyone who has support my journey towards this finished thesis. There are far too many to name but there are some I would like to especially thank. First and foremost, I want to express my sincere gratitude to my main supervisor, Professor Tim MacCarthy and Co-Supervisor Dr Georgios Kokogiannakis. Their patience, encouragement, and immense knowledge have been key motivations throughout my PhD, and their advice on research and on my career have been priceless; I thank them for allowing me to grow as a research scientist. Thanks also to my friends and colleagues at the University of Wollongong for listening, and for offering advice support throughout this entire process. Special thanks to Ms Tina Anderson at student support who trusted me enough and granted opportunities to be part of a team to enhance the studies for students who are disadvantaged and show signs of disabilities. I would like to thank A/Professor Alex Remennikov, A/Professor Neaz Sheikh for offering me to work as part of their teaching team. Thanks to the Australian Government Research Training Program for supporting this research study. It is also a pleasure to thank my friends at Wollongong and all the other friends scattered around. Thank you for your thoughts, well-wishes, phone calls, e-mails, texts, and being there whenever I needed a friend. vi Last but not least, my deep and sincere gratitude to my family for their continuous and unparalleled love, help, and support. I am grateful to my sister Maryam for always being there as a friend. I am forever indebted to my parents Hassan and Zahra for giving me the opportunities and experiences that have made me who I am. They selflessly encouraged me to explore new directions in life and seek my own destiny. This journey would not have been possible if not for them, and I dedicate this milestone to them. Mehdi Robati vii Table of Contents Declaration ...................................................................................................................... iii Abstract ............................................................................................................................ iv Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ................................................................................................................. xv List of Tables .................................................................................................................. xx List of publications associated with this thesis ........................................................ xxiii Chapter 1 Context statement ........................................................................................ 24 1.1 Research background and motivation .............................................................. 24 1.2 Sustainability in the structural design of buildings .........................................